SPFB !!! In case you have forgotten, it means: See Previous Florida Blogs!!
Moss Park is yet another SPFB!! Go back to last year’s blogs to read about me blathering about the 2 pretty little lakes or the narrow little river that joins them and how when the sun sets, the trees on its banks glow as the blasts of golden shards of bright light hits them. On Lake Mary Jane, the park’s beach is usually peaceful and quiet during the winter months. This year, several groups of high school students from New York and Connecticut congregated there for a training camp to fine-tune their talents of team rowing in those long narrow vessels called sculls. 8 oarsmen manned those 40 to 50 foot long boats and rowed in unison out onto the calm water for 2 hours of intense training followed by a quick lunch and 2 more hours out in their skinny crafts. Either 4 or just 2 oarsmen handled the shorter boats. Ally and Tommy were a team of 2 from Long Island and were very patient with all my questions about their sport!
And Moss Park still has animals! The person who cares about them the most is George, Moss Parks Camp Host and Resident Wildlife Photographer! Each morning the herd of white tail deer, the Turkeys, the Gray squirrels and several pairs of tall gangly Sandhill Cranes gather for their breakfast of corn and grain. The crows overhead announce the arrival of daylight and the Pileated Woodpeckers begin their incessant pounding out of a nesting cavity in the top of the dead pine tree behind George’s parked motor home. During the day, the bright colored Northern Parula Warblers flash their silver blue backs and yellow tummies as they flit from branch to branch and warble their little hearts out. As always, the Sandhill Cranes clatter and squawk from sunup to sunset! Each Saturday evening, George shares his love of photography and the animals of Moss Park during a movie he crafted and presents to the campers. Last year, we congratulated him on the birth of his last batch of Sandhill babies. This year we got to do it again! What a delight to have these doting avian parents lead, feed and protect their long legged tan youngsters while still letting all of us take picture after picture! Last year we met “Gimpy” an injured Sandhill with a terribly crooked leg. He is still in Moss Park – painfully limping thru the campground to visit each campspot as always but now he has a girlfriend. They stayed in our site quite awhile, hoping for a treat from bookworm H. NO Sandhill gets a treat from H – but Gimpy does from Grandma B!
Sherman Squirrels, Armadillo and Gopher Tortoise are still in Moss Park too! And the Baby Barred Owls are just a ways outside the entry gate in the 15-foot high crook of a sprawling Live Oak Tree. The parents nervously perch in nearby trees, watching over their children while George takes their weekly photographs. We were invited to go with George to see the babies for this 3-week portrait update. After we crawled carefully under a raggedy old barbed wire fence we climbed the 15 feet up the ladder and cautiously peered down into the oakleaf lined nest cavity to see the 2 buggy eyed, fluffy white babies that were crowded together in that deep niche.
As much as I enjoy the experience and the memories of these creatures of God, I cherish the friends we’ve met along our camping adventures even more. Our Georgia, dulcimer-playing friends, Bobbie and Gene are 2 of those special friends! We met them several years ago, here in Moss Park when G was only able to get around in a wheelchair pushed cheerfully by his best friend and wife, B! He now rides his bike around the park and tells lots of stories about their times together. Our travels lined up once more and we spent time together here in Moss Park where our friendship began. Campfires, conversations, Sour Orange Pie and lunch out at the Catfish Place are now added to the growing list of not to be forgotten memories.
The condo is almost packed down and Sunday is moving day once more. From southeast of Orlando we’ll be moving northwest to Wekiwa State Park for 5 days. This weekend is the NBA All Star Basketball game in Orlando and the Daytona 500 races are running this weekend too. Getting around this town is never easy and dragging the trailer will not make it any better with these 2 mega events going on.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Up The Atlantic Coast
Phipps County Campground is next door to the Port Lucie Locks and Dam. This man made canal leads from the Atlantic Ocean thru this extremely northern edge of the Everglades and into Lake Okeechobee. From there the canal passes one of our other favorite places to park – WP Franklin Lock and Dam (SPFB) and out to the Gulf of Mexico at Ft Myers. Improvements have been made to Phipps Park and it was our parking spot for a few days – just to get us thru the weekend. The campground folks said the park was full but they would accommodate us by allowing both trailers to park on the same spot. It was tricky but we managed!
The park backs up to the canal and is within sight of the Florida Turnpike and Rt 95. Stuart has several nice beaches and our day was spent exploring – the beaches, the quaint “historic” downtown area and a good-sized flea market. Even tho we came away empty-handed from the flea market and the marine salvage store, our tummies came away full after a great lunch at Manatee Island Grill an open aired seafood spot right on the dock in the harbor!
Sunday was our moving day again. It was time to part ways with R&N since they were headed inland to Davenport. We lucked out and moved around the corner to the Lock and Dam campground. There are a total of 9 camping spots and only ONE “walk in” space that is available for 3 days at a time. H and I watched many an interesting vessel lock thru and head west! While we were parked there we also went out exploring again! We discovered Hutchinson Island – one of the many barrier islands that protect the mainland of this sandstone peninsula called Florida. Beaches, grass, palmetto and mangrove covered dunes; lofty condos and marinas dot the long skinny island. Towards the southern end of the island the map showed a “lookout” which turned out to be Gilberts Bar – House of Refuge. The “house” is one of only 9 commissioned in 1875 for U S Life Saving Service. Keepers provided shelter, food, clothing and transportation to survivors of shipwrecks and storms at sea. In this area, the coastline is a jagged outcropping of huge rough rocks that would remind you of lava boulders in Hawaii that are subjected to the voracious wave action of the sea or the enormous boulders on the coastline of Maine!
Steadily we’re moving up the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. This time a hop and a skip up to Sebastian Inlet State Park for a few days before hopping and skipping up to Manatee Hammock, a Brevard County Park and Campground, just south of Titusville. The park is situated off Rt 1 and borders on the Indian River. On the other side of the river is the Kennedy Space Center with its easily visible tall white Assembly Building standing proudly on the horizon. The park is woodsy, with narrow roads that wind around tall pine trees and spreading live oaks, which have blanketed the ground with their tiny shiny brown leaves. There is a lovely pool but since the water temp was a chilly 64 degrees – no one was in it. Some silly soul also posted a sign on the enclosure wall that stated “ Swimming Prohibited – Beware of Alligators”. On the waters edge is a long fishing pier extending out into the river and the resident Blue Heron was stationed on the railing, keeping guard this VERY windy afternoon! As we inched our way out onto the dock, slowly as not to scare (HA!) him away, H kept on snapping his picture. We got eyeball to eyeball with this windblown-feathered soldier before H lost the staring contest and we moved to the other side of the dock! While in Titusville we visited with my dear high school girlfriend Lois and her husband Dave. Out to dinner at Boston’s Beef and Seafood one afternoon after the morning was spent exploring parts of the islands and walking the beach. Most places along the coast there is just one barrier island but in this area there are two that stand together – Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island. Between them and the mainland are the Banana and the Indian Rivers. There is a canal that has been dug (imagine that!) and a lock has been built to subdue the tide and the waves and allows the larger boats a short cut from the ocean to the rivers. Over this canal there is a high bridge. The road leads out to the Cruise Lines Parking lots and Shipping Docks. The bridge is almost high enough but still has to be opened for the tall working vessels that use the channel. H and I were compelled to watch over several tugs and barges that struggled to maneuver against the currant and lock thru. There were also a half dozen manatees milling around in the lock, seemingly trying to assist in the operation!
One day was spent out on north end of Merritt Island where the Kennedy Space Center and the Shuttle Launch are located. Way too crowded and too late in the day to attempt taking a tour but we did stop and visit the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Museum where the full sized model of the shuttle Inspiration is on guard. The size is amazing! We learned that the Delta 5 Rocket was to be launched on Thursday evening from the Kennedy Air Force Station, adjacent to the actual Space Center. We postponed our departure one more day and invited R&N to come up to watch it with us from the fishing pier at the campground. We froze for one whole hour out on that dock while the launch was moved back by 5 or 10 minutes at a time. At 6 30pm it was cancelled - due to high winds aloft. Oh well – it was dark and we were cold and hungry - out for seafood we went!
Friday morning the winds were calm and we headed west! We’re going to Moss Park!
The park backs up to the canal and is within sight of the Florida Turnpike and Rt 95. Stuart has several nice beaches and our day was spent exploring – the beaches, the quaint “historic” downtown area and a good-sized flea market. Even tho we came away empty-handed from the flea market and the marine salvage store, our tummies came away full after a great lunch at Manatee Island Grill an open aired seafood spot right on the dock in the harbor!
Sunday was our moving day again. It was time to part ways with R&N since they were headed inland to Davenport. We lucked out and moved around the corner to the Lock and Dam campground. There are a total of 9 camping spots and only ONE “walk in” space that is available for 3 days at a time. H and I watched many an interesting vessel lock thru and head west! While we were parked there we also went out exploring again! We discovered Hutchinson Island – one of the many barrier islands that protect the mainland of this sandstone peninsula called Florida. Beaches, grass, palmetto and mangrove covered dunes; lofty condos and marinas dot the long skinny island. Towards the southern end of the island the map showed a “lookout” which turned out to be Gilberts Bar – House of Refuge. The “house” is one of only 9 commissioned in 1875 for U S Life Saving Service. Keepers provided shelter, food, clothing and transportation to survivors of shipwrecks and storms at sea. In this area, the coastline is a jagged outcropping of huge rough rocks that would remind you of lava boulders in Hawaii that are subjected to the voracious wave action of the sea or the enormous boulders on the coastline of Maine!
Steadily we’re moving up the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. This time a hop and a skip up to Sebastian Inlet State Park for a few days before hopping and skipping up to Manatee Hammock, a Brevard County Park and Campground, just south of Titusville. The park is situated off Rt 1 and borders on the Indian River. On the other side of the river is the Kennedy Space Center with its easily visible tall white Assembly Building standing proudly on the horizon. The park is woodsy, with narrow roads that wind around tall pine trees and spreading live oaks, which have blanketed the ground with their tiny shiny brown leaves. There is a lovely pool but since the water temp was a chilly 64 degrees – no one was in it. Some silly soul also posted a sign on the enclosure wall that stated “ Swimming Prohibited – Beware of Alligators”. On the waters edge is a long fishing pier extending out into the river and the resident Blue Heron was stationed on the railing, keeping guard this VERY windy afternoon! As we inched our way out onto the dock, slowly as not to scare (HA!) him away, H kept on snapping his picture. We got eyeball to eyeball with this windblown-feathered soldier before H lost the staring contest and we moved to the other side of the dock! While in Titusville we visited with my dear high school girlfriend Lois and her husband Dave. Out to dinner at Boston’s Beef and Seafood one afternoon after the morning was spent exploring parts of the islands and walking the beach. Most places along the coast there is just one barrier island but in this area there are two that stand together – Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island. Between them and the mainland are the Banana and the Indian Rivers. There is a canal that has been dug (imagine that!) and a lock has been built to subdue the tide and the waves and allows the larger boats a short cut from the ocean to the rivers. Over this canal there is a high bridge. The road leads out to the Cruise Lines Parking lots and Shipping Docks. The bridge is almost high enough but still has to be opened for the tall working vessels that use the channel. H and I were compelled to watch over several tugs and barges that struggled to maneuver against the currant and lock thru. There were also a half dozen manatees milling around in the lock, seemingly trying to assist in the operation!
One day was spent out on north end of Merritt Island where the Kennedy Space Center and the Shuttle Launch are located. Way too crowded and too late in the day to attempt taking a tour but we did stop and visit the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Museum where the full sized model of the shuttle Inspiration is on guard. The size is amazing! We learned that the Delta 5 Rocket was to be launched on Thursday evening from the Kennedy Air Force Station, adjacent to the actual Space Center. We postponed our departure one more day and invited R&N to come up to watch it with us from the fishing pier at the campground. We froze for one whole hour out on that dock while the launch was moved back by 5 or 10 minutes at a time. At 6 30pm it was cancelled - due to high winds aloft. Oh well – it was dark and we were cold and hungry - out for seafood we went!
Friday morning the winds were calm and we headed west! We’re going to Moss Park!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Palm Beach Area
It was a long day, moving from the Glades up the edge of Fort Lauderdale, past Delray Beach where H’s Aunt Ruth used to live and up to Lake Worth. LOTS of traffic, a roll over auto accident, road construction and H’s CB radio that wasn’t working, didn’t help the stress. John Prince County Park has a golf course, soccer fields, fitness trails and miles and miles of paved bike trails. Lake Osborne and the attached canals that connect it to a half dozen other small lakes take up 2 sides of the campground. The third side is a VERY active county airport and a state college campus is across the road. The 14-day, short-term campsites are right along the lake and the two traveling brothers were assigned 2 close by spots in a small circular area. The other five of the seven sites had Quebec license plates on their vehicles. On the first day we were too tired to care. H and R needed their “Happy Hour – right away! On the 2nd day we took off to go explore the area – we needed to be sure of where the Tri Rail Train station was for the following day! H directed and Ron, obediently drove down to Delray Beach past the home where their Aunt and Uncle used to live and then out and up A1A along the narrow winding road, lined with 10 foot tall manicured hedges that protected and hid the mansions and estates of the “rich and famous” in Palm Beach. Since we had already attended the 100th Anniversary of the completion of the Flagler Railroad down on Pigeon Key, we used R&N’s GPS and located the Museum and Mansion of Henry Flagler. R parked the truck and the 4 of us approached the intricate black wrought iron gate that adorned the front fence to find out the museum was closed on Mondays. Go figure. Disappointment didn’t linger long after we climbed back into the truck and set the GPS to find the zoo in West Palm Beach – we were out exploring and now we were hunting for wild animals! The biggest wild animals there were a fat fuzzy lazy black bear, 3 half grown tiger cubs, a huge black Tapir and a young Jaguar whose coat was soft and spotted but his teeth said he wasn’t in the mood to be petted. The number of monkeys, brightly feathered ducks and long legged tropical birds was unreal! And did you know that if you rattle the animal feed handle they will all come a flapping! Great way to get up close pictures! In the Glades we watched Spoonbills while they swooshed their beaks thru the water, sifting for food. At the zoo we watched bright coral Flamingos with their entire heads upside down under water looking for bits of seafood for dinner!
Next day was our train trip to Miami. The Tri Rail Train is a double decker passenger train that runs from West Palm Beach south to Miami and back. Of course – SPFB! H prefers to play train tour guide on the weekend when us old folks get a reduced rate but we weren’t going to be there on the weekend. Ron and Nancy had wanted to do this trip! On our last trip, I didn’t remember how creepy the bus ride was from the train out to Miami Beach. The city map shows the area as “Little Havana”. Lunch was out on Lincoln Mall – just like the last time. The Panini and pizza was good but the people watching was even better!! N mentioned the “Art Deco” area so H led the way, via the boardwalk that followed the edge of the beach. Eventually we climbed back on another bus that took us back over the turquoise water. Up the steps and onto the people mover thru town to the Government Center where we climbed another set of steps to the Metro rail. Back to the Tri Rail station and we finished up our transportation chase with a northbound trip back to Lake Worth. We were exhausted!
Next day was our train trip to Miami. The Tri Rail Train is a double decker passenger train that runs from West Palm Beach south to Miami and back. Of course – SPFB! H prefers to play train tour guide on the weekend when us old folks get a reduced rate but we weren’t going to be there on the weekend. Ron and Nancy had wanted to do this trip! On our last trip, I didn’t remember how creepy the bus ride was from the train out to Miami Beach. The city map shows the area as “Little Havana”. Lunch was out on Lincoln Mall – just like the last time. The Panini and pizza was good but the people watching was even better!! N mentioned the “Art Deco” area so H led the way, via the boardwalk that followed the edge of the beach. Eventually we climbed back on another bus that took us back over the turquoise water. Up the steps and onto the people mover thru town to the Government Center where we climbed another set of steps to the Metro rail. Back to the Tri Rail station and we finished up our transportation chase with a northbound trip back to Lake Worth. We were exhausted!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
South Florida
Long Key State Park – SPFB!! The days were sunny and WARM! We donned our water shoes, grabbed the snorkel bucket (the white bucket with the glass bottom!) and have gone out exploring the ocean bottom for “treasures”! I have some new ones to bring home! This year I found a Sea Urchin. It looks like a Sand Dollar on steroids! Last year we saw a Batfish and we’ve seen one twice this year along with Manta Rays, Puffer fish and Boxfish! It was so easy to get the orange bubbles into the calm sea since last year the canoe never left the top of the Jeep the entire time we were here. Our new underwater discovery was the Flower Pot Sponges that looked just like the big black plastic pots that bushes and trees come in from the tree nursery and Barrel Sponges that look just like a big squatty barrels! Showing Nancy the world of under water sea treasures (via the snorkel bucket!) was fun! Most of the seashells we picked up had to be returned to the exiting tide area because they had hermit crabs in residence! One evening I gave a big yell and N came to my rescue to help corral and then take pictures of a big Blue Land Crab that was side stepping across our patio rug trying to get to the protective cover of the Mangrove jungle on the other side of our “condo” before being discovered! And the sunsets behind our “condo” were phenomenal, especially when the peach and coral colors reflected off of Ron’s trailer!
Our next moving day was stressful - - - 3 miles up Highway 1 to Fiesta Key Resort. Last year we parked along the canal but this year they gave us the “cheap seats” closer to the road and up against the mangroves. We were scheduled to park right next to R&N, however – the sites were SO narrow and there was a palm tree planted too close to where the trailer was to sit so we moved over one spot – leaving an empty site between us and R&N making the neighborhood more spacious! Thankfully the park did not fill up and no one was crammed in between us! No cell service and no wifi still but the swimming pool was great and the little store had a good supply of ice cream cones! H was happy in spite of it all!
Up the road and out of the Keys, past the fields of strawberries and sweet corn where the irrigation sprinklers were spewing long lines of wet spray over the young tender plants. Over and down to the end of the southern most road in the Everglades – Flamingo, so we could park for a few more days before we started our eventual slow trip north. The objective for these few days was to rent a boat and venture out into the dark waters of the glades. Now, a 16ft skiff with a 40 horsepower motor should have moved us along with no problem. Should have! As long as we were traveling in a “no wake” length of the long narrow channel, we did ok. We passed the pontoon tour boat when they stopped to see a Crocodile. They passed us when we stopped to get shots of the next motionless croc! They passed us several times after that because once we were out in the larger lake area, and the boys threw the throttle wide open, the water logged vessel sludged up to a whopping 6 mph. We plowed across the choppy waters to the next channel and regretfully turned around to head back to the marina because we were running out of rental time. “Exploring the Glades” was not to be. The young man who assigned us this abused tub told us to just call the marina IF we had problems and he would come right out and get us. Yeah, right. Both attempts to reach him ended up in a never-ending circle of recorded nonsense messages. But – we made it back and our attempts to explain the woeful quality of the vessel fell on deaf ears.
Time to move on again came too quickly but we still had time to stop at one of the turnouts on the road back out of the glade and watched several Roseate Spoonbills swish their long spoon shaped bills back and forth in the water looking for a fishy tidbit for lunch. The dark water of the pond, surrounded by pines, palms and mangroves was so peaceful and calm but H was ready to be on our way. There was plenty of time before we were to park one more at the casino for the night, so we headed to Biscayne Bay National Park for a picnic lunch. Nancy got another stamp for her National Park Passport Book! The afternoon was way nicer than the night we spent parked in the expressway lane of the parking lot at the casino. It was the weekend! The casino was packed with people and smoke from all the cigarettes they puffed on. The parking lot was also crowded and got more so as the night progressed. Some dummies even parked within 3 feet of the front bumper of the truck. Two “good old boys” with their big trucks and trailers carrying airboats! H was tempted to just unhook their unlocked trailers and roll them back so we could pull forward. Good thing it was Ron who was parked behind us so when he pulled out – we could back up and get out.
Keeping to the outskirts of Miami and Fort Lauderdale we edged our way up Rt 27 and then Rt 441 thru all the traffic congestion and traffic lights. It seemed like an all day task but we finally made it to John Prince Park Campground in Lake Worth. We have electricity, and cell phone service, and wifi!
Our next moving day was stressful - - - 3 miles up Highway 1 to Fiesta Key Resort. Last year we parked along the canal but this year they gave us the “cheap seats” closer to the road and up against the mangroves. We were scheduled to park right next to R&N, however – the sites were SO narrow and there was a palm tree planted too close to where the trailer was to sit so we moved over one spot – leaving an empty site between us and R&N making the neighborhood more spacious! Thankfully the park did not fill up and no one was crammed in between us! No cell service and no wifi still but the swimming pool was great and the little store had a good supply of ice cream cones! H was happy in spite of it all!
Up the road and out of the Keys, past the fields of strawberries and sweet corn where the irrigation sprinklers were spewing long lines of wet spray over the young tender plants. Over and down to the end of the southern most road in the Everglades – Flamingo, so we could park for a few more days before we started our eventual slow trip north. The objective for these few days was to rent a boat and venture out into the dark waters of the glades. Now, a 16ft skiff with a 40 horsepower motor should have moved us along with no problem. Should have! As long as we were traveling in a “no wake” length of the long narrow channel, we did ok. We passed the pontoon tour boat when they stopped to see a Crocodile. They passed us when we stopped to get shots of the next motionless croc! They passed us several times after that because once we were out in the larger lake area, and the boys threw the throttle wide open, the water logged vessel sludged up to a whopping 6 mph. We plowed across the choppy waters to the next channel and regretfully turned around to head back to the marina because we were running out of rental time. “Exploring the Glades” was not to be. The young man who assigned us this abused tub told us to just call the marina IF we had problems and he would come right out and get us. Yeah, right. Both attempts to reach him ended up in a never-ending circle of recorded nonsense messages. But – we made it back and our attempts to explain the woeful quality of the vessel fell on deaf ears.
Time to move on again came too quickly but we still had time to stop at one of the turnouts on the road back out of the glade and watched several Roseate Spoonbills swish their long spoon shaped bills back and forth in the water looking for a fishy tidbit for lunch. The dark water of the pond, surrounded by pines, palms and mangroves was so peaceful and calm but H was ready to be on our way. There was plenty of time before we were to park one more at the casino for the night, so we headed to Biscayne Bay National Park for a picnic lunch. Nancy got another stamp for her National Park Passport Book! The afternoon was way nicer than the night we spent parked in the expressway lane of the parking lot at the casino. It was the weekend! The casino was packed with people and smoke from all the cigarettes they puffed on. The parking lot was also crowded and got more so as the night progressed. Some dummies even parked within 3 feet of the front bumper of the truck. Two “good old boys” with their big trucks and trailers carrying airboats! H was tempted to just unhook their unlocked trailers and roll them back so we could pull forward. Good thing it was Ron who was parked behind us so when he pulled out – we could back up and get out.
Keeping to the outskirts of Miami and Fort Lauderdale we edged our way up Rt 27 and then Rt 441 thru all the traffic congestion and traffic lights. It seemed like an all day task but we finally made it to John Prince Park Campground in Lake Worth. We have electricity, and cell phone service, and wifi!
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